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☆ Tesla slashed its Supercharger team. What does that mean for America’s EV network?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Ella Nilsen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The news this week that Elon Musk laid off Tesla’s entire Supercharger team sent shockwaves of uncertainty through the industry tasked with building America’s new network of EV chargers. A fast and reliable charging network is an essential ingredient in getting more people to switch from gas-powered vehicles to electric, and some early types of chargers proved less than dependable. Tesla had a superior charging network long before President Joe Biden set an ambitious goal to install half a million stations around the US by the end of the decade. “There are many, many charging companies out there,” an EV industry source told CNN. “Charging is a difficult business, there’s no doubt about that,” the EV industry source said.

Persons: Elon Musk, Tesla, Joe Biden, NEVI, “ It’s, ”, it’s, ” Daniel Sperling, University of California Davis, Loren McDonald, ” McDonald Organizations: CNN, EV, Joint Office of Energy, Transportation, Electric Vehicle Infrastructure, NEVI, Infrastructure Law, ”, Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California Locations: EVAdoption, New York

☆ The Thrill of a Great Steakhouse Isn’t the Food. It’s the Theater.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Rita Bullwinkel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

I mean steakhouses like House of Prime Rib in San Francisco, Hal’s in Atlanta and Bern’s in Tampa, Fla. Every great American city has one; really great American cities have at least two or three. This kind of steakhouse revels in dinner theater. In House of Prime Rib, for instance, a chef in a tall, pleated paper hat pushes a steel cart stocked with the finest cuts of beef around the restaurant as if he were manning a float in a parade. He stops so the patrons can fawn over the meat, and then dramatically carves the cut with an oversize blade.

Locations: San Francisco, Hal’s, Atlanta, Bern’s, Tampa , Fla, Rhone

“We expect stringent government oversight of our mining-to-reclamation project, which will be fully protective of the Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge and the region’s environment,” Ingle said in a statement. The swamp’s wildlife, cypress forests and flooded prairies draw roughly 600,000 visitors each year, according to the U.S. Despite efforts by President Joe Biden to restore federal oversight, the Army Corps entered a legal agreement with Twin Pines to maintain its hands-off position. The mining project is moving forward as the National Park Service seeks designation of the Okefenokee wildlife refuge as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Twin Pines denied wrongdoing, but said it agreed to the fine to avoid further permitting delays.

Persons: Deb Haaland, Josh Marks, “, Steve Ingle, ” Ingle, C, Rhett Jackson, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Ben Prater, EPD Organizations: Georgia Environmental, Twin, Twin Pines Minerals, Refuge, Georgia -, Twin Pines, U.S . Fish, Wildlife Service, and Wildlife Service, University of Georgia, ., Army Corps of Engineers, Army Corps, National Park Service, UNESCO, of Wildlife Locations: SAVANNAH, Ga, Georgia, Twin Pines, Birmingham , Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia - Florida, Atlanta, Twin, blackwater

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Federal wildlife officials announced Wednesday they will consider adding 10 new species to the Endangered Species Act, including a big bumble bee that serves as a key pollinator across the United States. Fish and Wildlife Service officials said they had completed 90-day reviews of petitions to add the species to the list and determined that listing may be warranted. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2022 to include the bee on the Endangered Species List. The agency included Eastern hellbenders who live in Missouri on the Endangered Species List in 2021. More than 1,300 species are listed as either endangered or threatened in the U.S. under the Endangered Species Act.

Persons: It's Organizations: Fish, Wildlife Service, Biological Diversity, U.S . Fish, Lockes, Lockes Wildlife Management, West Virginia . Locations: MADISON, Wis, United States, U.S, Southern, Midwest, Texas, North Dakota, Florida, Queens, Oklahoma, Alabama and Mississippi, Borneo, North Carolina, Lockes Wildlife, Nye County , Nevada, Arizona, Kentucky , Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, West Virginia . U.S, Eastern, Missouri

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — The company seeking permits to mine minerals near the edge of the Okefenokee Swamp and its vast wildlife refuge has agreed to pay a $20,000 fine to Georgia environmental regulators, who say the company violated state laws while collecting soil samples for its permit application. The plan is required for Twin Pines to qualify for a permit. Twin Pines has insisted it can mine without harming the swamp. An attorney for Twin Pines said Wednesday the company denies any wrongdoing. The Army Corps entered an agreement with Twin Pines to maintain its hands-off position in 2022.

Persons: “, Lewis Jones, Josh Marks, EPD, ” Marks, Donald Trump, Joe Biden Organizations: Georgia Environmental, Twin, Twin Pines Minerals, Twin Pines, Regulators, Refuge, ”, National Park Service, UNESCO, U.S . Fish, Wildlife Service, and Wildlife Service, Army Corps of Engineers, Army Corps Locations: SAVANNAH, Ga, Georgia, Twin Pines, Alabama, Twin, Mississippi, Atlanta, blackwater

CHANNELVIEW, Texas — For nearly 20 years, Texas environmental regulators have kept a disturbing secret. AdvertisementTexas Community Health News; Texas Commission on Environmental Quality"Any exposure to a carcinogen increases your risk of developing cancer. AdvertisementTim Doty, a former TCEQ mobile air monitoring expert, at the industrial edge of River Terrace Park in Channelview, Texas. In fact, the agency rarely fines companies that violate Texas air pollution laws. Mark FelixHoneycutt's toxicology division soon took an even more dramatic step to weaken Texas' benzene guidelines.

Persons: Loren Hopkins, Hopkins, Mark Felix, TCEQ, AirToxScreen, AirToxScreen Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee, Menefee, Tim Doty, Doty, Solv, He'd, Glenn Shankle, Kelly Keel, Todd Riddle, Riddle, Lopez, Joe Lopez, Dora, Joel Lopez, Randy Lopez, It's, Joel, Felix Benzene, wildcatters, Houston —, Forbes, Lorenzo de Zavala, Alison Cohen, Cohen, Tim Doty's, Houston Mayor Bill White, Shankle, Michael Honeycutt, Valerie Meyers, Meyers, Mark Felix Meyers, Richard Hyde, John Sadlier, Ryder, Hyde, hadn't, Russell Allen, Matt Baker, Jacintoport, Cloelle Danforth, Public Health Watch —, Danforth, Mark Felix Honeycutt's, Eric Schaeffer, Schaeffer, Honeycutt, Jim Tarr, polluters, upended, Mark Felix Fracking, Barnett, Glenn Shankle —, —, Rick Perry, Perry, Sadlier, David Bower, misstep, Baker, Bower, Michael Burgess, Greg Abbott, Abbott, Mark Felix Meanwhile, Randy, That's, Carolyn Stone, Stone, Carolyn Stone's, Mark Felix The, Cynthia Benson, Benson, Mark Felix Tim Doty, Mark Felix K, Jordan Gass Organizations: Public Health Watch, Texas Commission, Environmental, American Petroleum Institute, Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, U.S . Navy, Geospatial - Intelligence Agency, General, Health, Public Health, Rice University, Environmental Protection Agency, Texas Community Health, AirToxScreen Harris County Attorney, polluters, Mark Felix Public Health, TCEQ, Solv, Mark Felix Public Health Watch, myelodysplasia, Houston, Oil, Gas Watch, Texas, Houston Ship, University of California, Houston Mayor, ., . Texas Community Health, NASA, Exxon Mobil, Public, Watch, Environmental Defense Fund, Management, Civil, Air Alliance Houston, Republican, Fort, United, Texas toxicologist, EPA, Texas Tribune, Google, Land Office, . Geological Survey, National Oceanic, Firefighters, U.S . Occupational Safety, Health Administration, Channelview, Improvement Coalition, Health Watch, San Jacinto, K, Texas Legislature, Solv Group, Services Locations: , Texas, Texas, Houston, Channelview's Jacintoport, San Jacinto, California, Jacintoport, Channelview , Texas, AirToxScreen Harris County, Channelview, Harris County, United States, North Channelview, Gulf, Terrace, Joel's, Houston , Texas, Spindletop, Mexico, Republic of Texas, Port of Houston, San Francisco, . Texas, That's, polluters, lacquers, Dallas, Fort Worth, Fort Worth City, Austin, Round, Minnesota, Galveston, U.S

☆ I took the Grand Canyon Railway for $174. My ticket got me seats in a 'luxury dome' and first class.
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Athena Sobhan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Grand Canyon Railway takes guests from Williams, Arizona, to the south rim of the Grand Canyon. The experience was absolutely worth the price and made visiting Grand Canyon National Park easy. After doing some research online, I discovered that I could travel to the Grand Canyon on the historic Grand Canyon Railway, which takes visitors from Williams, Arizona, to the south rim of the canyon. Overall, the trip on the Grand Canyon Railway was worth the priceThe Grand Canyon Railway took us from Williams, Arizona, to the south rim of the Grand Canyon. Riding on the Grand Canyon Railway was an experience I'll never forget.

Persons: —, I'd, Athena Sobhan, Sobhan, Williams Organizations: Railway, Service, Pullman, AAA Locations: Williams , Arizona, Riding

☆ Opinion | Why We Should Bring Back the Buffalo
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Dayton Duncan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

But that heartbreaking tale has another chapter, too, that shows how Americans can change direction and pull back from the brink. Today, more than 350,000 bison can be found in the United States — a notable success, but really just a start. Most of today’s bison are being raised as livestock, confined like cattle, fattened in feedlots and trucked to commercial slaughterhouses. Meanwhile, some ranchers and nonprofit environmental organizations are trying to provide buffalo with something closer to the habitats they once knew: more room to roam and native grasses to eat. Under those conditions, the bison can reclaim their former role as the “keystone” species of the prairies, improving conditions for all other species to thrive.

Persons: Lewis, Clark, Meriwether Lewis Locations: North Dakota, Montana, United States, fattened, feedlots

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has vetoed Republican-sponsored bills intended to undo federal protections for two endangered species that have seen their populations plummet over the years: the lesser prairie chicken and northern long-eared bat. The two GOP measures would overturn “science-based rulemaking" that offers important protections for the once-abundant species and would undermine the Endangered Species Act, Biden said. Environmentalists have long sought stronger federal protections for the prairie bird, which they consider severely at risk due to oil and gas development, livestock grazing and farming, along with roads and power lines. Veto of the lesser-prairie chicken measure puts the bird "on a more certain path to recovery,” said Michael Parr, president of American Bird Conservancy. The American public, regardless of party affiliation, overwhelmingly supports the Endangered Species Act and believes it should be fully funded to protect species from extinction.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Bruce Westerman of, “, ”, Michael Parr, ” Jamie Rappaport Clark Organizations: WASHINGTON, Republican, GOP, Congress, U.S . Fish, Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, Natural Resources, Republicans, Washington , D.C, Council, Fish and Wildlife Service, Environmental, American Bird Conservancy, of Wildlife, American Locations: Midwest, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado , Oklahoma, Kansas, United States, Bruce Westerman of Arkansas, America, East, South America, Washington ,, Canada, U.S

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — A U.S. agency said Friday it will nominate the vast, federally protected wildlife refuge in the Okefenokee Swamp for listing as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Okefenokee refuge covers more than 90% of the swamp and is the largest national wildlife refuge east of the Mississippi River. Designation as a World Heritage site wouldn't impose any added restrictions or regulations for the Okefenokee. Ossoff said a World Heritage site designation would have both environmental and economic benefits for the Okefenokee and surrounding Georgia communities. Conservationists sounded doubtful that the World Heritage site nomination would directly affect the decisions of Georgia regulators.

Persons: Kim Bednarek, ”, Elise Bennett, It’s, Buddy Carter, Democratic Sen, Jon Ossoff, Ossoff, Deb Haaland, “ They’re, Ben Prater, Bednarek Organizations: —, UNESCO, National Park Service, U.S, of Liberty, UNESCO's World, U.S . Fish, Wildlife Service, Center for Biological Diversity, Fish and Wildlife Service, Republican, Democratic, U.S . Interior Department, Twin Pines Minerals, of Wildlife Locations: SAVANNAH, Ga, U.S, Washington, Georgia, Florida, blackwater, Yellowstone, Yosemite, ”, Arizona, of, Ohio, Mississippi, Caribbean, Twin Pines

☆ The Natural, Unnatural Genius of America’s Trails - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Peter Coy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Lately I’ve been hiking the 125-mile-long Paumanok Path in eastern Long Island in sections. I love that it extends uninterrupted from Rocky Point in the west to Montauk Point in the east. It’s the network effect, which says that a network grows in value as it adds nodes. A long trail becomes better when a short trail through a special piece of woodland is incorporated into it. Conversely, the short trail attracts new attention and visitors.

Persons: Robert Moor, “, tingle, ”, Walt Whitman Locations: Mount Washington, N.H, Maine, Georgia, Long, Rocky, Montauk, Chicago

Retail pasta prices rose about 12% this year in Europe and 8% in the United States, according to market research firm Nielsen. CANADA DRYWhen the Prairies turned dry this summer, Canadian farmer Darold Niwa saw hopes of a bumper durum harvest dashed. Durum, the hardest wheat, produces pasta with the prized "al dente" firm texture, unlike soft wheat. In the meantime, Vincenzo Martinelli, president of the durum section of Italian millers association Italmopa, nervously awaits the outcome of the Canadian harvest. "Without Canada, prices will only go up," he said.

Persons: De, Continental Noodles, Vincent Liberatore, Liberatore, Darold Niwa, Jerry Klassen, Philip Werle, There's, Severine, Maisons, Vincenzo Martinelli, Gus Trompiz, Rod Nickel, Emilio Parodi, Ceyda, Julie Ingwersen, Michael Hogan, Caroline Stauffer, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Foods, Nielsen, Grains, CANADA, Prairies, Statistics, Traders, Northstar, European Union, Thomson Locations: Fara San Martino, Italy, PARIS, WINNIPEG , Manitoba, Canada, Turkey, Toronto, Continental, Spain, India, Europe, United States, Oyen , Alberta, durum, Statistics Canada, France, Algeria, TURKEY, Turkish, American, Russia, North Africa, Milan, Ceyda Caglayan, Istanbul, Chicago, Hamburg

☆ Opinion | The Lines Between Red and Blue America Are Blurring, Not Hardening
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Jesse Nathan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

We canned our own tomatoes and turned ice cream by hand but also traveled to the East Coast for b’nai mitzvah. This summer a little town of a few thousand near my family’s farm held a Pride parade — for the fourth time. There’s even a small queer community at the little high school I attended. These so-called red states are their home, and many of them will raise families there. Kansas was, after all, the first state to reject — resoundingly — an effort to roll back abortion access after Roe was struck down.

Persons: peck, —, John Prine, “, George Eliot, Rosa Luxemburg, Abraham Joshua Heschel, Angela Davis, Pete Seeger, I’d, Matthew Shepard’s, Kris Kobach, Roe Organizations: University of California, Columbia Law School, United Farm Workers, Oakland, Mennonite, for Rural Culture Locations: Oakland, Berkeley, Kansas, California, East Coast, There’s, Kansas , Texas , Ohio, New York

☆ Canada wildfires: what are the causes and when will it end?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Here are some questions and answers about Canada's wildfires, which have charred millions of hectares and polluted the air in that nation and the U.S.WHAT PARTS OF CANADA HAVE WILDFIRES HIT? Wildfires are common in Canada's western provinces, but this year the eastern provinces of Nova Scotia, Quebec and parts of Ontario have also reeled from out-of-control wildfires. This week, the focus returned to the west, as wildfires burned about 16 km (10 miles) northwest of Yellowknife, the capital of the vast, sparsely populated Northwest Territories. As of Wednesday, there were 1,054 active wildfires in Canada, including 230 in the Northwest Territories and 669 deemed out of control, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center. Widespread spring fires across the whole of Canada are also unusual, and research shows fire seasons across North America are getting longer.

Persons: Pat Kane, Mike Westwick, De Beers, Lytton, Fort Smith, Justin Trudeau, Ellen Whitman, David Ljunggren, Divya Rajagopal, Ismail Shakil, Rod Nickel, Jonathan Oatis, Josie Kao Organizations: REUTERS, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Canadian Interagency Forest Fire, Reuters Graphics, Northwest, Enterprise, Northwest Territories, Diamond, Atlantic Canada, Canadian, Canadian Forest Service, Thomson Locations: Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada, U.S, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario, Territories, British Columbia, Alberta, YELLOWKNIFE, Northwest, Hay, Fort McMurray, United States, Fort, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Toronto, East Coast, New York, Washington, Chicago, North America

☆ The best of Milan Design Week 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Marianna Cerini | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Milan CNN —The design world’s largest annual fair enjoyed a return to full pre-pandemic form with its 2023 showcase, transforming the city of Milan with hundreds of exhibitions, site-specific installations, pop-ups and public projects. Almost everywhere, the focus was on sustainable design, circular economy, material innovation and artistry combining craft with innovation. Some of the most interesting ideas were those that looked at waste – literally – to rethink what design can do when it uses what is already there. Shown in various stages of decomposition, the chair challenged viewers to approach products with the end of their lifecycle in mind. Top image: One of two bags design legend Gaetano Pesce created for Bottega Veneta’s Milan Design Week installation.

☆ A cross between domestic pigs and wild boars was intentionally bred in Canada. The resulting 'super pigs' escaped captivity and could be invading the US.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

When the market collapsed, the "super pigs" escaped and have spread rapidly across the country. The environmentally destructive pigs may be invading the US, where feral pigs already pose problems in the South. Then the boar market peaked, collapsing in 2001, and many of the super pigs were simply let go. Others escaped, as the super pigs were stronger and more adept at getting under or over fencing. But the super pigs from Canada could easily survive the frigid winters of places like Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, or Minnesota.

☆ The High Seas Treaty, Explained
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Haphazard Authority On Ocean Resources | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +12 min

Global News Changing Tides The first international agreement to protect the world's oceans aims to create “international parks” in the high seas. The high seas represent 95% of the world’s total habitat by volume, but the nautical world remains largely unexplored. “A sentiment we often encountered was that there’s not much in terms of biodiversity out there in the high seas,” he said. MPAs that already exist mostly occupy exclusive economic zones and only make up about 3% of the high seas. A 2016 Pew study on mapping governance in the high seas showed 19 governing bodies with a high seas mandate.

☆ Sunflowers, war and drought: Why the price of margarine and butter spiked 32%
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Margarine prices swelled by about 4% in the month from August to September, meaning they've continued to trend upward in the short term. 1 producer and exporter of sunflower oil, which accounts for 9% of all vegetable oil produced globally. "Supplies of these alternatives are expected to be tight in the 2021/22 marketing year, contributing to elevated vegetable oil prices." Palm oil accounts for 35% of all vegetable oil made globally, the largest share relative to the aforementioned oil commodities. Annual oil prices — and those of its byproducts, like gasoline and diesel — skyrocketed as a result.

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